Kobe Bryant to Grace Cover of 'NBA 2K17' Legend Edition

Hours before Los Angeles Lakers great Kobe Bryant takes the court for the final time, 2K Sports announced plans to keep the Black Mamba's legend alive forever.

The 18-time NBA All-Star will appear on the cover of the Legend Edition of NBA 2K17. It will retail for $79.99 and will be released in September. Bryant will make his second appearance on the cover of an NBA 2K product (he was the cover athlete for NBA 2K10).

Per a press release provided to Bleacher Report from 2K Sports, Bryant talked about teaming up with the publisher for a second time:

"It’s a great honor to partner with 2K on the NBA 2K17 Legend Edition. As I walk off the NBA court for the final time, it’s exciting to know my fans can continue to celebrate my lifelong career as a Los Angeles Laker."

The trailer above is a lighthearted look at the many different emotions fans have felt toward Bryant during his illustrious career. Here's a look at the official cover for the Legend Edition:

Bryant and the Lakers take on the Utah Jazz on Wednesday night at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. A sellout crowd will be on hand to watch the future Hall of Famer end his career.

There will be far more fans lining up to buy the Legend Edition of NBA 2K17 with Bryant on the cover. Here's a look at what Mamba-crazy fans will get with the Legend Edition, per 2K's Twitter account:

image provided to Bleacher Report from 2K Sports

There will still be a standard edition released that will feature a different cover athlete. That will retail for the normal $59.99 and will be released on the same day as the Legend Edition. The cover athlete for the standard edition will be revealed during the NBA 2K16 Road to the Finals eSports championship in June.

NBA 2K released this tribute video that showed off their depictions of Bryant over the years:

It's early in the hype season, but 2K has already thrown down a major piece of information to excite virtual hoop heads. We'll have to see what else is in store.

Follow Brian Mazique on Twitter.